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Monday, 18 October 2010

Dirt Devil DUC012 Review

This powerful upright boasts an impressive 2000W motor which provides an outstanding cleaning performance on all types of floors and carpets.

It has a wide floorhead and is ideal for edge to edge cleaning. The folding handle means it can be easily stored.

The bagless vacuum cleaner comes with a number of attachments, including an Intense Turbo Brush, which is excellent for removing pet hair from furniture or cleaning inside your car.

The large 2.5 litre capacity dust canister has Microban® technology built in to reduce bacteria and can be emptied using the ‘one button to trigger’ dust disposal system. It also comes with a high performance HEPA filter which is washable and also comes with a spare set of filters.

Initial thoughts I am already wanting to try the features useful nooks and crannies to store crevice tools, the , easy to assemble I love the streamline look, red and silver makes me think fast and powerful, so my I have great expectations.

Its smart and curvy. The handle has a rubberised grip, puts me in mind of my bikes handlebars. I recently replaced the ones that came with the bike despite them being new as they did not feel good to hold. The DCUo12 has a smooth comfortable feel and this bodes well for usage.

It has lower hoses which easily that slide into the vacuum and click into place. They also can be disconnected when you have a blockage to check for. To further check for blockage there is an inspection flap in the lower U-tube to the rear.

I have never had this problem with a vacuum though, I feel people do tend to vacuum up larger items, socks, small toys etc, I prefer to stop and pick them up, saves checking dusty pipes.

My ultimate pass or fail for any cleaner is the weight. I am small in height and stature and trying to lug a weighty unwieldy hoover up and down the stairs, in and out of the cupboard and in general vacuuming use will seriously make me curse. I have had bruises from trying to get one upstairs.

The DUC012 felt heavy when I first lifted it but then I realised its best carried in the folded storage position, it balances out much better, taking up and downstairs was a doddle. The storage position is perfect if space is at a premium, also it presumably can be left upright if a slim space is all that's available.

The cable tidy is positioned well at the top half of the vacuum which means no bending. All these things warm me to the Dirt Devil and I have not switched on yet. Its been well thought out.

Vacuuming is an absolute doddle the Dirt Devil is light to manoeuvre, gets right into the edges, really powerful suction. My carpet has been missing that just hoovered look, it really gets the dirt up and pull the pile up too. It has three settings for thick, medium pile and hard floors. It does all well.

The handy Turbo head is fab on the stairs really beat up the pile well, I loved this and again my stair carpet looked very pristine, have had only a normal attachment for the last few years that had mo extra suction.

This is where my first criticism comes, the hose has a limited reach, even with the extension hose I was five steps short of the whole stairs and as it is light weight it fell over a couple of times I worked out a good position for the vacuum at the bottom that was stable to counteract this which is the back of the vacuum flush with the first step.

I have no real issue as I like a separate hoover for upstairs and so can do the top steps with that but not ideal as I am not keen on vacuuming from the top with a cleaner behind me in case it topples. Not practical for people who only have the one vacuum either.

The tools are well fitted and dont fall off like they can on other machines, I would have preferred if the extension hose was behind the handle as I do catch my knuckles when replacing, this may lessen as I get used to where it is.

The dust cannister is very compact, easy to remove and has a flip open lid at the bottom for easy emptying, which is vital when you are in a rush, its cleaner for messy folk like me too they normally empty at the top and I often get dust on my hands or worse it blows into my face as I tip it upside down.

It clips back easily in place after a quick wipe around with a cloth to clean.

The filter is also washable which makes life less expensive having to buy new filters and as the canister is impregnated with Microban, I also feel happier that my house is clean hygienically too.

So for a light streamlined good looking great working vacuum the Dirt Devil DUC012 gets the thumbs up in my house.